Why the Star Wars Prequels Are Actually Good (Part 2)
When last we gathered together, we started to talk about the Star Wars prequels. I’ve got just a little more to say on the subject, and I hope you’ll bear with me. We already talked about what I think of as the perceived bad points against the three prequel movies. Now I want to get into the actual bad points. Shall we?
Let’s.
Now, I want to defend some of the actual lousy points of the prequels. Because they were not flawless gems of filmmaking, nor do I contend that they are. I merely offer that they are better than made out to be. And in order to defend them, I am going to discuss the original trilogy. And this, I warn you, is the place where you’ll need to separate the original trilogy of movies from the beautiful golden idol in all of our minds. And probably shotgun my front door or something…
- The writing: Well, it’s sort of a big point, isn’t it? The bad writing? It comes up pretty often. And it is pretty atrocious in some places. One gets the feeling, with the strange and bulky sentences that some of the characters use, that nobody actually sat down and read the script aloud beforehand. And it’s true. Especially in some of the quieter character moments, particularly between Amidala and Anikan Skywalker. If I had talked like that to my wife, she would probably be someone else’s wife, if you get my meaning. My defense, however, is to point out that in many a place, the writing in the original movies was not a lot more graceful. Lando Calrissian being dashing is cringe-worthy. Anything Luke Skywalker says in the first movie is cringe-worthy. Nearly anything anyone says in the first movie is cringe-worthy. Nobody talks like any of these people talk, in any of the movies. The dialogue doesn’t always hold up, therefore, in either trilogy, and the plots of all the movies tend to be fairly simplistic. But more on that later.
- The acting: it was a particularly big joke against the second prequel: wooden acting. And I can make no strong defense of it, because it did have wooden acting. But I can offer some interesting ideas about it. For one: they are, in theory, disciplined people. It’s a film mostly made up of Jedi and politicians, i.e., people who are all able to keep their emotions in check. For two: for whatever reason, the prequel movies – particularly the second one – featured a lot more slow, quiet, character-moments than the original trilogy. I therefore find it likely that if we had had long scenes of Leia and Luke, or Han, sitting around talking, they would be just as stilted. (You can see a little evidence of this in The Return of the Jedi, on the rope-bridge in the Ewok village, as Luke talks to Leia and then Leia talks to Han. Expand that scene by an hour. You see what happens).
- Made for kids: I have heard it suggested in many places that the prequel films, particularly the first one, felt dumbed-down and made for kids. This always puzzles me, in that the original Star Wars movies weren’t exactly Schindler’s List themselves. They were kid friendly too. Mostly, though, I think the thing to consider these are three follow-up films being made to three films made in the seventies and eighties, which were already kid friendly enough. And if you accept that the prequels are on the level of the original movies, then there would be no reason for them to be any darker. There would be no reason for them to evolve into The Matrix-like movies. It’s just that time has passed, and the world has changed, and now they seem like kid’s films. It’s like the perennial parental hallmark argument about how movie ratings seem to be getting worse, and you never see G-rated films anymore, and so forth. The world just changes.
The Star Wars films have always had very simplistic plots, although that’s no problem at all since it works, and it’s fantastic. There is no need for complex plots, or for complex characters, in that they are essentially films full of archetypes. They are mythology pieces in so many ways, and that’s just fine.
One complaint I hear against all of the Star Wars films is about the seriously iffy science, to which I can only say: you betcha. The ships don’t move right. The lightsabers make no sense. The Death Star laser makes no sense. All the weapons and explosions and ships make a lot of noise in outer space, which surely doesn’t happen.
The reason this doesn’t phase me is that I don’t particularly think of Star Wars as science fiction. Maybe I just have too much time on my hands, but I think science fiction can be broken down into all sorts of interesting categories. I think that science fiction is stuff by Isaac Asimov, Jules Verne, and so forth. That is to say: work which has a grounding, and an emphasis, on the science. And then there is speculative fiction, which gets lumped into science fiction. Future stories. Stories of the past. Stories based around questions like if this goes on… or if this happens… or what-have-you. And then I think there is a third category, which died with the pulp magazines, which is fantastic fiction. Stories of the fantastic. And into that category, I would include Star Wars. It’s huge and exciting and fantastic. (If you want to see Star Wars done as science fiction, watch Joss Whedon’s Firefly; the science works, space is soundless, and so forth).
I think that if the prequels had any one big flaw, it was that they were perhaps too earnest and too sincere. There was absolutely no cynicism or irony in the love scenes, in the dramatic conflicts between characters. There are really no gray areas between the light, and the dark. And I think that this level of earnest intent can make the movies feel a bit cheesy and awkward in places. And on a related note, it occurs to me that the prequels do not have one thing which the original movies did, which is: Han Solo and Chewbacca. They added not only an interesting level of banter, but also a cynicism and sarcasm which did help the original movies from feeling entirely earnest and intense all of the time. There is no equivalent to them in the prequel movies, and I think that is to their detriment.
(Anyway, if you ask me, the best thing about Star Wars as a whole is that it led to the Expanded Universe. It gave us shelves upon shelves of novels and comics and some truly amazing video games. I perhaps have more fond memories of playing Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight than I do watching any of the movies. And the books, although some are good and some are bad, form one massive work of continuity which is really rivaled only by the comic book universes of Marvel and DC Comics. I think that’s pretty special. And a whole lot of fun. And it enhances the movies, when you come back to them.)
I think that it’s actually too soon to judge the prequels successes or not. And actually, that’s part of why I’m talking about them now, even though there’s no reason for me to be bringing up and discussing the prequels. It’s not like they’re in the news, or having an anniversary, or needing reconsideration or anything. If the phrase “time heals all wounds” is true, I think it can comfortably be applied to movies as well as, you know, the other things it applies to (shark bites? Harlan Ellison attacks? your pick). Now that time has come between me and the prequels, I can look back at them and consider them a little more objectively. I can try to take from them what they give me, leave what they don’t, and then go on my merry way. And I think as we put more and more distance between ourselves and the prequels, they might start to look friendlier.
I think the final thing to keep in mind is that actually, they’re probably a hugely different experience for kids. Writing this article, I keep wishing I had a child of about, say, eleven. I mean, we are beginning to have whole generations to whom all six Star Wars movies have just existed on DVD for them. They don’t remember having three movies in their lives, and then three interlopers appearing. There’s just always been these six things. I wonder what they think of the prequels? And I wonder what they think of these older, rougher creatures, these Star Wars movies that came out a long time ago…
There. I think we’ve gotten through it all without tearing apart any golden idols, without emptying that beautiful drawer labeled Star Wars, which I would never want to empty. Far from it, I want to add to it. Ideally, I want you to be able to watch the prequels and take from them as much as you possibly can, adding it to that drawer in your mind. I have found that since I had to take the original trilogy off its pedestal and consider all the movies, and Star Wars, that my love for it all has not only reignited, but increased. And so, I try to pass some of that onto you.
I hope it works.
Please put the shotgun away.
Related posts:
- Why the Star Wars Prequels Are Actually Good (Part 1)
- Its a Good Thing We Aren’t True Star Wars Geeks
- Nothing But Star Wars: Steampunk Return Of The Jedi, Early Star Wars Storyboards
- Star Wars Movie Forum
- Star Wars as a Thesis
Filed under: Star Wars
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My biggest issue with the prequel trilogy was how it LOOKED. Just like any other sci fi thing with shiny ships and clean, brand new things.
The old trilogy was dirty, industrial, spartan and people wore shitty clothes like vests. That made the old movies feel real. The new ones did the opposite.
I’ve never really been into the Star Wars films, but I think the thing that sets them apart is the way they tell a “pulp” space opera story, without devolving into camp. It’s an easy trick and one that would bring great success for any space story brought to the screen, but for some reason, filmmakers haven’t allowed themselves to do it. It baffles me.
As filmmakers plan new films involving Buck Rogers and John Carter, I’m curious if they will allow themselves some pulpy, retro-futuristic characters and ideas. The trend is to go toward the updated BSG television show, which lean toward something gritty and modern in their storytelling, and ignore the pulpy roots. I can see why they do this, but it does make me wonder if it’s impossible to see one of the key things that makes the Star Wars universe so successful.
From what I can tell from the new Star TRek trailers, Abrams would appear to be swinging things back toward Star Wars style of storytelling. I happen to think that approach will resonate.
I have to say that I do not share any affectation for the Star Wars prequel films. Some of it down to the stories and some of it down to acting and characterisation. In a New hope Obi Wan speaks of this great friendship he had with Anakin Skywalker. But in the later two prequel films Obi-Wan sounds like a nagging father and Anakins character can be summed up as a bad tempered teenager. If the relationship between them had of been more like the one Obi-Wan had with Qui Gon Gin in the Phantom Menace I might have been able to shed a tear or two when Obi Wan was forced to fight Anakin.
I should also add that I think the main problem with the prequels is that they told the story before the story that would have been a lot more entertaining – you know, that whole “star wars” thing with Darth Vader being Darth Vader. The rise and fall of Anakin is an interesting story, but I sort of wish that was film one.
The rest of the prequel failures might have seemed smaller if Anakin wasn’t so annoying to watch. If people loved him even a little bit, it would have worked much better.
Thanks for a pair of well-thought-out and well-argued essays. I tend to agree: if one went into the prequels expecting a life-changing experience like the first Star Wars, then of course one would be disappointed.
Another development in the last two decades affects all movies: the Internet. The writers/directors/etc. don’t have to slow down the action with backstory, plot details, character development, and other exposition: all of that can go on the Internet. Most moviegoers just want to see fights, explosions, and kewl special effects; those few who want backstory & such can search the Web when they get home.
Your comment about kids who have grown up with all six movies on DVD is spot-on. I’ve talked to a fair number of 8-12 year olds who really like the current Clone Wars cartoon but feel the live-action movies are “old-fashioned.” (So far I have not strangled any of these kids, which I think shows remarkable restraint.) I do have to admit that the computer-generated Anakin Skywalker is much more expressive than Hayden Christensen….
And one aside to the commenter who said that the Star Wars movies told their story “without devolving into camp” — if the scenes of the mad Emperor tearing apart the Senate chamber and hurling pieces at Yoda while cackling maniacally weren’t camp, then I don’t know what is. Deliciously, operatically, way-over-the-top camp, yes…but camp. I loved every second!
Are the Star Wars prequels flawless? No, of course not. Did George Lucas, ultimately, make me sympathize with Anakin and believe in his transformation into Darth Vader? No, not really. Were the movies filled with swashbuckling derring-do and flashy adventure? You betcha. Were they true space opera, in the fine tradition of Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and E.E. “Doc” Smith? Oh, yeah.
And when I’m clicking through channels and happen across any of the Star Wars movies, do I stop and watch, even though I have them all on DVD and have seen them a million times anyway?
Yep.
My nephew went through a huge Star Wars phase (passing out of it now), and for him the prequels WERE Star Wars. He loved them and their characters just as much or more as I loved the originals when I was his age. He likes the originals fine too, but they are nothing special to him. I think there’s a lot to the context argument.
Even so, I think the prequels were too much “Revenge of the Jedi” and not enough “Empire Strikes Back.”
The shotgun is still out.
Sure Luke’s dialogue wasn’t spectacular, but it at least seemed ernest. Anakin’s dialogue was terrible and seemed forced, just so the movie could be made. Hell, the writing and emotion from the new Star Wars cartoon Anakin on Cartoon Network evokes more emotion than anything in the 3 prequels.
Also, I agree the original movies were kid friendly, but they didn’t talk down to the adults like the prequels do. My guess is all the 11-12 year olds who like the prequels better will eventually grow to love the originals as they get older. I bet when they are adults they rank the movies :
1. Empire
2. Revenge of the Sith
3. Star Wars
4. Return of the Jedi
5. Clones
6. Phantom
Of course children like the prequels better, as they are pure eye candy. I know I always like Return of the Jedi best as a child, because it was eye candy. Now I realize that Empire and Star Wars are better written and have better plots, even if they are all simple. Sure it’s all pulp, but there is a difference between good and bad pulp.
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed these two essays. Putting the movies into perspective (all of them), avoiding the polarized ‘prequels are better’ vs. ‘originals are better’ is a difficult thing to do, but you seem to have pulled it off! I take off my hat to you good sir!
“Lando Calrissian being dashing is cringe-worthy.”
It’s not valid to say that without providing a detailed rationale.
OK, Pete,
My verdict is in…
As good a writer as you are…
I hereby disown and disavow any prior friendship with you.
I want my jewelry back.
ANY of Lando’s dialogue toward Leia. The delivery of “You truly belong with us, here among the clouds” for example. The only reason it works in the movie is that, rather than everyone taking it very seriously, we immediately cut to a shot of Han Solo, leaning against the wall, rolling his eyes and going “Oh christ…”
That’s what I mean about stuff in the original movies working because of the cynicism and Han Solo, whereas in the prequels, the same line would have been used as earnestly and sincerely as possible.
I like Star Wars movies, all six, for what they are. I many times think that Firefly is a much better-written and more interesting version of Star Wars.
And maybe Imitation Milk made the best prequel movie…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byMClFz6w-w
(And I’m very much enjoying the Cartoon Network stuff, when I catch it.)
I am really really late to the party here. That won’t stop me however. I supposed I could be one of those 11-12 year olds you were talking about, considering I was 11 or 12 when TPM came to theaters. I had saw the original trilogy before hand, both the original and special editions. Then I saw the prequels one by one as they came into theaters.
Well, I do like the prequels better. To be honest, I think the stories are deeper and a lot more complex. I would argue that by comparison, the original trilogy was made for kids. You don’t have children being slaughtered in Empire. And acting in the Prequels was a lot more stomachable. I can’t stand to listen to Luke Skywalker sound like he is going through puberty for A New Hope and Empire. He finally sounded like someone in their twenties in RotJ.
There really is a god!
There is an old saying if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance baffle them with bullshit.
That is what you’ve done.
Since you know nothing about a decent movie here it is.
Acting, acting, acting not excuses acting.
If you fail that you have mount everest to climb to please your audience you can do it but you either have to be a brilliant director or the only other category is so bad that it’s good.
Sorry Lucas you ain’t joining that club.
Stop defending the undefendable just hate it like everyone else.
Christ it’s twits like you that will make Sarah Palin the next president of the united states!
Learn about your future before you don’t have one! And while you’re at it learn what a good movie is.
Gladiator that was a great movie.
I’ll let you in on a little trade secret not every movie we praise stands the test of time.
Even ones we initially loved.
Who can tell me they sit down and watch Lord of the Rings The Special Edition every week.
And now thanks to the DVD we scrutinise even more.
Sorry Son that’s just how it is.
Substance not Style.
P.S The new Battlestar Galactica Series was probably the finest show I’ve ever seen on the big or small screen.
Sorry but nothing you can say will defend the prequels. Yes you can point out that the original trilogy wasn’t oscar winning movies either but so what? They are still a country mile better than the newer films.
The one point of your defense I really don’t get is that you talk about how the original films where child friendly and so are the new ones, as if that means something. Yes they are both products of the era in which they were made, but just look at some contemporary ‘child friendly’ movies to the prequels like Toy Story, Shrek even the early Harry Potter movies and you can see a lot more ‘grown up’ themes and images than you will find in those movies, and they have done it with out going Matrix dark.
The reality is Lucas really isn’t a great movie maker and when making the prequels he really stunk, I have seen a fair bit that supports the idea that everyone was too scared to challenge him on flaws in the movies and without the creative input of those he was working with the movies never had a chance to be decent.
Lets not forget his CGI/fx/stunt crimes either. He seems to have been blinded by flash, bang and the desire to sell toys without ever considering any form of narative flow, plot, logic or reason. He didn’t have to try and shoe horn everything he did into the movies… Lets face it the original movies shifted tonnes of merchandise with ease, the prequels were going to as well… he didn’t need to milk it and ruin the product!
Whatever you think of Lucas, it’s pretty silly to say he isn’t a great movie maker. He made one of the greatest films of all time, and even the prequels had some great moments in them.
A lot of bitter middle-aged losers out there who hate on Lucas. Pretty sad, really.
The conversation going has nothing much to do with me, really, so I’ll make a quiet note and then keep on going.
I get when people like or dislike Star Wars. that’s your little red wagon. But slagging off on Lucas, I never get that. The man had an impossible-to-escape effect on HOllywood as we know it.
Forget Star Wars: this is the man who founded or set into motion THX, Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound and Pixar. And has done quite a lot besides.
Say what you will about the films, but his impact on filmmaking is undeniable.
I know I’m a minority here, but I liked the prequels. I didn’t even mind jar jar or that clone wars movie. This is probably because instead of looking at star wars as six individual movies, I look at the whole thing as a whole. When viewed that way, the prequels actually make the originals even better. I agree with Pete about George. The guy changed an entire industry, and you treat him like shit. (pardon my french) Good work Mr. Lucas, keep it up!
P.S. If you want to see something REALLY suckish, go watch Avatar in 2D.
I loved (and love) both the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy. I have to agree that Han Solo is what is needed in the prequels, though. I have to picture him rolling his eyes all the time whenever Obi-Wan speaks to Anakin (or Anakin speaks at all).
The one thing I absolutely can not stand about the prequels is the droid personality thing you have going on. You saw it to an extent in the original trilogy with C3PO and R2D2, but the majority of droids were just that. Droids. No self-awareness, just a quirk here or there that could loosely be called “personality.” In the prequels, suddenly battle droids were capable of fear, self-awareness, that sort of thing en masse.
The heavy emphasis on Clones Vs Droids meant that very little in the way of personality could be shown without really stretching the limits of the believable. And since the majority of your characters on screen are too disciplined or lacking in sentience to be amusing, you have to opt for some slap-stick and “Uh Oh” moments that aren’t the least bit realistic but are necessary to progress the plot or keep younger viewers interested.
For me, the prequel trilogy holds a special place in my heart – being 18 at the time of writing which would make me around the age of 9 when Phantom Menace was released, I was at the age where your brain doesn’t register all the ‘crap’ which is present in EVERY ONE OF THE FILMS. Star Wars isn’t renowned for its amazing acting – the acting is pretty poor in every film; it is remembered for the whole other world it created, a world which you can (and i certainly did) get lost in. Personally I feel that many of the original star wars fans feel cheated by the prequel trilogy – maybe they should consider that Lucas was creating these films not just for you but for a whole other audience? There are some aspects of the prequel trilogy I dislike, mainly Jar Jar and Anakin in Phantom Menace, but – even with phantom menace, which is my least favourite of all six films – in the prequel trilogy the soundtrack quality and the amazing lightsaber fight scenes are totally awesome and more than make up for the ‘crap’. I have watched and enjoyed every star wars film, but i think, due to fight scenes, sounds, settings and the epicness of the prequel trilogy it pips it for me, as a younger viewer.
I agree with the comment made by Davidson. When someone asks me what is you’re favorite Star Wars movie I say all 6, or just “Star Wars”. If you view each move alone they are just ok. But the grand nature of 13 hours of cinematic masterpiece is truly amazing. For Lucas to even attempt to make 3 prequels to a beloved trilogy takes guts, and the 3 we have now, are the best that could have been done. Who is the heart of Star Wars, clearly the man who wrote the damn thing.
One thing I’ve never understoof is people slagging on Anakin, sure hes a whiner, but it makes the story work. In episode II he explains it to Padme, he feels frustrated because Obi-Wan, remember this is Obi-Wans first apprentice. Obi-Wan is overly critical, Anakin feels he is farther along than Obi-wan will admit, he loves Padme which is more like an obsession in II, his mother dies. All these things build up on him and make him like that. For what other reason would he betray all the Jedi and become Darth Vader, if not for love? Love blinds logic and reason, and the thought of losing Padme, is a great idea as to why he becomes Darth Vader. I don’t see how else it could of been done
Another thing often overlooked is Ian Mcdiarmid, who is one of the greatest villians ever. Everything he does and says is manipulation to further himself. He starts the invasion of Naboo so he can get the Queen to come back and see that Chancellor Vallorum is useless, then she’ll call for a Vote of No Confidence so he can be Supreme Chancellor, effectivly ruling both sides of the war. In episode II, he makes Anakin guard Padme at the start so they’re love can foster, and he can use that. He gets Jango to kill Padme, knowing he wont succed, then he has an excuse to send Anakin and Padme away to fall in love, and seperate his biggest competation in controlling Anakin, Obi-wan. Also with Padme gone, the Naive Jar-Jar fills in for her, who he can use to grant himself emergency powers. Also at some point he gets Coutn Dooku to pose as Qui-Gon so they can get a “Grand army of the Republic” that becomes the Stormtroopers. In III he gets himself kidnapped so Anakin can come kill Count Dooku, and Anakin can get “Revenge” something a Jedi should not do. The Story of Darth Plagueis, is a way to tell Anakin only through a Sith can you save the love of your life. He puts him on the council to adhere to Anakins wishes, to make Anakin happy with him, and to have the council treat him unfairly, which can be the basis for Anakins hatred of the Jedi. Even when he finally tells him hes a Sith Lord, you have a sense he has a complete grasp on the situation. Palpatine is in control the entire first 3 movies, except for one moment, when Mace Windu has defeated him. At this moment Palpatine put his life into Anakins hands, he was pretty sure the alure of saving his Wife would persuade Anakin to help him. But he wasn’t sure, and Anakin could of sat there while Mace killed him. The writing of Palpatine and his rise to power is some of the best writing you will ever find.
I always thought that the only thing which held back the prequels even slightly is that Lucas did it himself. One of the great things about the original films was that there were other directors and writers floating around. That was really useful, and I sort of feel that the prequels could have EXCEEDED the original movies (rather than just being as-good-as) had he brought other people in.
In between the original trilogy and the prequels, whole generations of writers and directors grew up with Star wars. He had an amazing pool of talent to tap, and I wish he’d used it. I mean, hell, he could have brought Joss Whedon in to do SOMEthing, SOMEwhere.
But if I put in a Star wars film to watch, I’ll put any of the six in. I still think they’re all equally as brilliant and fun, and equally as dopey.
(And I have to say…I realize the original film soundtracks are landmarks, but I listen to the prequel soundtracks MORE. I really love those more. I’m not making any arguments about better or worse, but I never get tired of the prequel soundtracks.)
To make the prequesl Lucas saw dollar signs, guts don’t come into the equation unless you consider it to take guts to make 3 terrible movies (in my and millions of others opinions), to suggest that these 3 films are the best that could be made is just ludicrous… Lucas had pretty much a blank slate to work with in the context of making the prequels, even more so when he said he was discounting the entire extended universe (which to be honest didn’t really have that much to say about the period covered in the prequels). All he needed to do was leave the last movie in the prequel trilogy with an ending that would fit in with Starwars A New Hope X number of years later…. Basically a fallen republic, a newly risen empire and a bunch of rebels fighting agaisnt the the empire.
He didn’t have to use any of the characters from the Starwars movies, he certainly didn’t have to shoe horn in CP3O and R2D2. Its perfectly plausible that he could have come up with 3 coherent movies that featured clear protagonists and antagonists, characters that the audience could associate with and care about, action sequences that thrilled and amazed rather than bored and caused seizuers…. He could have told a story that was intelligent and charming…. He could have done so much more than what he did.
To say Lucas had dollar signs in his eyes is a little odd for me. He is worth 3 billion dollars today, and before the prequels he was worth a hell of a lot too. There comes a point when enough money is enough money. He made these movies with heart and because he felt it was an untold part of Star Wars. Similar to how Stallone made Rocky Balboa because he really wanted to. Also similar to how Stallone is the Rocky Franchise. George Lucas IS the Star Wars Franchise, he wrote it, and no one knows it better than him. In the 1990′s tell any other director this. “Hears these 3 wonderful movies that people love, now make 3 more movies, make the rise of Darth Vader, the rise of Palpatine, the rise of the Empire, the fall of the republic and the Jedi. Tie in every aspect you can and remember, this is hyped to hell, so it better be good.” They would be overwhelmed and they would feel so distant it really would feel like 3 seperate movies.
I think it would work better if people stopped viewing them as the “Prequels” and the “Original Trilogy.” Sometime this weekend, set aside a day for yourself and just watch all 6 movies in chronological order. You will see the grandness and the scope of these movies. Be happy that Lucas tied them together so nicely, that he didint just say. “Fuck it, lets make 3 new completely distant movies, and slap Star Wars on it.” He got all the movies to come together like one big movie, which is what Star Wars should be viewed as, for me, If I watch one movie, I gotta see the other 5.
The last thing I’d like to mention is hype, no movie lives up to the hype. When you have all that hype building up to The Phantom Menace, of course its not gonna live up to it. I guarntee you will love movies much more if you just watch the trailer one or two times, dont always think about it, dont read what other people think about it. Dont get yourself overhyped, because then the movie wont live up to it. Thats how people get “Blown Away” by movies, because they dont walk in with crazy expectations.
Ponders how you can think that money wasn’t a hugely important part of the making of the prequels, I am not saying it was the only reason but given the way the film was merchandised from the get go it seems blatantly obvious to me that it was an important motivating factor.
I am also curious as to why you think these 3 movies were tied together… Yes they contained a small number of characters and we got to see each of their stories told to some form of completion… but beyond that the movies make no sense what so ever (without huge amounts of logic defying assumptions that require farcical hooks that were never mentioned in the movies themselves). Nothing is really explained in any credible method about the fall of the Old Republic or the Rise of the Empire, Anakin/ Darth Vader’s story is about the most coherent story in the movies and that is terrible, at no point are we given any real reason to care about him or to get involved in his fall to the dark side, none of the magic and myth that Obi Wan told us in A New Hope was shown in the previous movies, no reason was given for us to believe that Obi cared at all for Anakin (apart from a stilted conversation in a lift that talked about things we never saw on screen).
Hell I could go on knocking these films for hours, but I really can’t be bothered. If you want to do yourself a favour i would suggest setting an afternoon aside this weekend and watching all 3 of the Redletter (google it with Starwars) reviews of the prequels as they articulate many of the gripes I had about these movies when i walked out of the cinema after each movie with the feeling I had been robbed.
All in all I think these films were more about massaging Lucas’ ego than anything else, after that came money and then a desire to show off ILM and what it could do with near unlimited finds… Somewhere about reason 673 comes make some decent movies that will stand the test of time, by which point its too late.
Well if you read my post, you’d know I think all 6 movies are wonderfully tied together. Nothing explained about the fall of the republic and the rise of the empire. The Republics leader was a Sith Lord. You can pretty much make up your own thoughts about that if you want, but they give you a satisfying story arc. He manipulates Anakin to the point where, he won’t kill him, but he’ll tell the Jedi Council. Then Palpatine can use Mace’s “Saving” of the Jedi Order, to make the Jedi Seem evil. Then the clones and Order 66, to kill all the Jedi. Try and provide another explanation as to how the Republic fell, and nearly every Jedi was wiped out.
It seemed to me, and its just opinion, but that Obi-wan Cared a lot for Anakin. Anakin saves him onboard the Invisible Hand, Obi-Wan is greatful. Sure they fight, but I got a real sense that the two cared for each other. Also opinion but didint care about Anakins transition to the Dark Side? I couldn’t see how else he could turn to the dark side. I cared a lot, because hes hopelessly in love with Padme, he has a child coming, if the Jedi find out hes in trouble. I can somewhat relate to Anakin, a lot is expected of him because hes a Jedi, but his feeling and emotions can cloud his judgment. He’s not like a Jedi who you can’t relate to. Anakin Skywalker is similar to if a normal human, with all our faults. Became a Jedi then had to live with it. The Jedi are nearly perfect and you cannot relate to them, Anakin is a normal human, in a world where everything around him is better than him. It leads to his frustration.
Also in regards to Redlettermedia, I tried to watch all 3, 4 seperate times, the 4th time I finally did. Before I get into his arguments, the man himself is just so unpleasent to listen to, his voice is annoying, his jokes are so awful. He’s the one guy everyone went to high school with, and just hates everything. Such a pessimst, someone who overanalyzes something to the enth degree and just tries to ruin the movies for everyone else. With regards to his problems with the movies, I agree, they’re not perfect, but to me they provide the most satisfying story that could of been done. As I said before there was so much that needed to go into them, so much writing and thought process. They did a very good job considering how hard it was to make this movie. Consider this, take the whole plot, all the characters, every little scene, just the whole movie itself, down to the last parsec of information in it, of Lord of the rings. Now make 3 prequels, maybe you can see how crazy it was to attempt this. Making 3 prequels to Star Wars is really hard, and they made the movies very good considering how hard it was to tie things together. Try to make 3 prequels for Rocky, Pirates of the Caribbean, or any big beloved movie series. Its a damn hard thing to do.
Harrison you made a lot of great points and I agree with you on every level. The Prequels were hard to do and for the generation that grew up with them, which is myself, they were satisfying. I immediatly watched the original Trilogy after watching Phantom Menace, which was my first star wars film. I was totally imersed in the world from those for movies and when Attack of the Clones came out I needed to see it. I was then impressed with the action and Yoda pulling his lightsaber is the best moment in star wars history next to “I am your father” in my opinion. Then 3 came out and it was huge to me. I have a lot of friends who this year treated the end of Harry Potter like the end of an era. That’s what episode 3 felt like I first. I was amazed and satisfied. I felt complete in a way. Despite the fact that I was like 8 at the time I felt sad that there was nothiing more to look forward to. As years went by though I realised the great thing about star wars. It isn’t just 6 movies. It is great games like KOTOR and Battlefront as well as novels and comic books. Then they released The Clone Wars which I didn’t enjoy despite seeing it as a premier before it was released in theaters. Its not that it was that terrible its just that it was a long pilot to a TV show that should have been on TV. And now in 2011 there is even more to look forward. I will always consider the movies the best form of star wars. All 6 of them. If I ever watch the Clone Wars show I will probably put the movie in that group. That’s what’s great about star wars. Theres so much. If you don’t like something you can watch or read or play something else. So for all those haters of the prequels, please stop trolling or hating or whatever on the internet. You likely still like some aspect of star wars and if we can all unite under that thought then I think there can be peace among star wars fans. Let us not turn to the darkside of internet trolling lol.
Ha, ha, I’d love to see a podcast on this subject.
Thanks Edward, I’m glad to find someone else out there who can enjoy Star Wars. As you and I both said, it expands well beyond the 6 films. People should appreciate everything that is Star Wars and there enormous contribution to a lot of things. Episode 3 was, just like you, the closing of an era though only the movies close. The series continues to move, grow, and entertain. I truly believe if we had stopped with just 3, Star Wars would be a lot smaller, and the impact would be much less. If you accept them for what they are, you will find yourself entertained and at the end, feeling very rewarded.
Well it looks like you got a 14 year old reading your review, and it happens to be me. And this is a very touchy subject for me. So let me start. Being young, i only own the original trilogy, which i got from yard sales, but i really hope to get the prequels soon. and i agree with alot of things you said. unlike most youngsters, i tend to like the originals better, maybe cause their the only ones i own, but i absolutely love the prequels too, they may have big flaws, but they are still great. I love the clone wars, not as good as the movies, and some of the comic and book, but i still love em. You see, we are the fans of the future, we may be less than the original fans, but we still are many, and some day as time goes by, the prequels hate will get smaller and smaller, as a new generation of fans come into play and share their feelings on topics like this. It’s just a matter of time till that happens, so i guess we’ll just have to put up with all the prequel hate for now. The point i am trying to make is, the prequels paved the way for the next generation of fans.
and ps. sorry for ranting